Wendy Marcus

Wendy Marcus was born in southern California, but grew up in Tucson, Arizona. After graduating high school Wendy worked for a year as a nurse’s aide at a crisis shelter for abused children, aged newborn to three years. Some of these children had been removed from their families by CPS. This experience fueled an interest in children’s issues and eventually led to her career in dependency law.

Wendy attended the University of Arizona, majoring in Creative Writing, but left short of graduation to marry and begin a family. After having three children she enrolled at Prescott College where she received a Bachelor’s degree with a Creative Writing major and a minor in environmental studies.

During her years with young children Wendy worked as a freelance writer and became active in the community. Wendy won a local fiction writing contest and had numerous articles published. Some of her favorite articles include those published in Skiing magazine. She belonged to two professional writing organizations which included popular authors.

Wendy’s community involvement included working as an adoption information coordinator for an infertility support group. During her tenure at RESOLVE, Wendy compiled a book of adoption resources for potential adoptive parents in Arizona. She also coordinated adoption information seminars which included panels of attorneys, social workers, adoption agencies and adoptive parents.

Wendy has always been passionate about the great outdoors. As a member of Tucson’s environmental activist community, Wendy worked to protect riparian habitat in the Tucson basin. This interest led to her appointment to two governmental committees. Wendy was appointed to Pima County’s Open Space Acquisition Review Committee. This committee determined land purchase priorities for $27.9 million bond. She was also appointed by the Governor to the WQARF Advisory Board (Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund), Arizona’s version of Superfund. The board determined expenditures of an $18 million annual budget to remediate groundwater pollution sites. Wendy has also served on Lake Havasu City’s Split Estate Task Force.

The political activism extended to holding a minor elected office. Wendy served for many years as a precinct committeeman in the Republican party and was elected District Chairman. The position allowed her to meet many local and national office holders. One highlight of the experience was being one of only five people invited to a dinner meeting with former U.S. Attorney General Richard Kleindienst. Another highlight happened at a private barbecue when her children were placed at the children’s table with John McCain’s children.

These community activities led her to enroll in law school. Living in Tucson, the University of Arizona was the logical choice. Wendy was active in the Environmental Law Society and wrote and helped edit the newsletter. She had no real plan to become a lawyer and followed her law school graduation with a year managing a political campaign. Eventually she was talked into taking the bar and passed on the first attempt.

Her law career started in earnest prosecuting misdemeanors in the Flagstaff city attorney’s office. Wendy specialized in DUI cases. After a few years in Flagstaff, Wendy accepted a position as a felony prosecutor in La Paz County. While working in La Paz county Wendy was offered a job in Lake Havasu City as a Worker’s Compensation litigator for the former State Compensation Fund. Wendy spent almost six years litigating worker’s comp cases in Mohave, Yuma and La Paz Counties.

When the opportunity presented itself, Wendy returned to one of her first interests – children’s issues. She accepted a job with the Arizona Attorney General’s office representing Child Protective Services in dependency actions, primarily in Mohave County. Wendy’s training took her to courts all over the western and northern part of the state. Her caseload included the dependency component of a number of high profile local cases.

During this time Wendy continued to enjoy her hobbies of hiking, camping, boating and birding. She also enjoyed spending time with her ever expanding family. With the birth of her sixth grandchild Wendy retired from the state. After a few months, she heard that Brad Rideout was looking for a part time attorney. Wendy jumped at the chance to join the team. She had previously had the opportunity to work opposite both Brad and Steve and was pleased to have the opportunity to affiliate with a first rate office.

Wendy has significant litigation experience, which includes approximately 16 jury trials and hundreds of bench trials and administrative hearings. She now specializes in dependency cases and also covers a criminal calendar. One of her favorite activities is analyzing complicated legal issues for briefs and motions.